Welcome to F.U.N. Forces, an occasional feature for Fridays where I share some team ideas or goofball themes I’m looking forward to running.
Left to right: Ant-Man, Valkyrie, Moon Knight, Beast, Nova, Steve Rogers, Black Widow. (Not pictured: War Machine, Sharon Carter)
Recently, the dial and card for Valkyrie (Fear Itself 005) was revealed. That means, at long last, I will finally be able to run an Avengers keyword-thematic Secret Avengers (vol. 1) #1 lineup!
Steve Rogers (Captain America) 99
Sharon Carter (Chaos War) 45
Ant-Man (Chaos War 026) 43
Valkyrie (Fear Itself) 130
Black Widow (Captain America 006) 85
War Machine (Hammer of Thor) 137
Moon Knight (Amazing Spider-Man) 109
Beast (Giant-Size X-Men) 95
Nova Prime (Galactic Guardians) 150
=893 points, all with the Avengers keyword and character-accurate unlike the first time I ran a version of this team with non-keyworded pieces or wholesale substitutes. This build leaves room for either some special objects or one of a few ATAs. Nova Corps could shave off 10 points to add, say, a minimal Gauntlet or a full Utility Belt to a member. Or the Asgardian ATA, at 5 points, which gives Val Willpower on her vital first click. (It’s a bitter irony that there’s no room for the actual Secret Avengers ATA. 
)
This team looks MUCH better on paper than the previous ones I cobbled together a few years back. Though still range-heavy with the top two fighters dealing in Running Shot and still lacking a really durable brick or tie-up piece, the true Secret Avengers now have copious amounts of top- or 2nd-click support-power pieces instead of just one. The team also isn’t as dependent on a couple of characters as Stealth walls; most either have Stealth outright or get it from Sharon Carter. And although melee/tie-up still isn’t the team’s strength, Beast and Val certainly have great ability in close.
Even the upcoming PAC changes in June (when I’m likely to run this force, assuming I can acquire the Valkyrie) help instead of hurt. All the SHIELD members on the force (3 natural, potentially all of them) mean Beast could still be Outwitting targets from up to 9 squares away. (EDIT: actually, no, as his natural range is 0 and could only be boosted to 3 and thus still under the minimum 6 of Outwit). Several characters gain Ranged or Close Combat Expert down-dial to aid in those must-hit rolls in the mid- to late game. And there’s Quake, Energy Explosion and Incapacitate scattered among these characters — each power a decided Winner in the rules shift.
___
This team is Golden Age. I can run a Modern Age version (for another month or so, anyway) by swapping out the retired War Machine with the 220-point new one from the Iron Man 3 set and Nova Prime for Nova from the Galactic Guardians Fast Forces. That’s a 1000-point build that allows for the Secret Avengers ATA but loses the themed team bonuses (War Machine lacks the Avengers keyword). I won’t mind so much when he’s shooting through hindering terrain with Avengers Initiative team ability.
There’s a super-budget character-accurate version out there, too, in Golden Age:
Steve Rogers (Captain America) 99
Sharon Carter (Chaos War) 45
Ant-Man (Chaos War 026) 43
Valkyrie (Sinister 046) 44
Black Widow (Clobberin’ Time 055) 30
War Machine (Armor Wars 067) 94
Moon Knight (Critical Mass 025) 18
Beast (X-Plosion 055) 42
Nova (Supernova 037) 56
=471 points. That leaves room for the Secret Avengers ATA on the four Avengers-keyword characters on the team. I think this team would get clobbered. Good thing I don’t own any of those pieces in black except the last one.
________
Hopefully, I’ll pull a Valkyrie in my Fear Itself events and can field this team directly afterward!